Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ensenada Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ensenada

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,046 in Ensenada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,599 in Ensenada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,152 in Ensenada.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 1% less than in Ensenada, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ensenada 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$10.77 MX$187

-45.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$32.06 MX$558

2.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$7.06 MX$123

1.98%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$3.04 MX$52.9

-44.08%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 COP 3,996

$1.10 MX$19.19

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$0.66 MX$11.52

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$2.59 MX$45.01

-35.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$4.04 MX$70.2

-23.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$1.57 MX$27.39

-32.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$2.57 MX$44.71

-51.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$1.66 MX$28.90

-16.27%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$2.86 MX$49.73

-20.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$7.55 MX$131

-42.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$5.04 MX$87.6

15.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$9.25 MX$161

-4.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$1.93 MX$33.64

16.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$1.44 MX$25.12

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$1.62 MX$28.24

-5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$1.56 MX$27.10

-12.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$1.64 MX$28.62

-31.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$1.74 MX$30.27

-35.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$1.10 MX$19.05

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$0.99 MX$17.22

-8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$4.06 MX$70.7

-42.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

$8.68 MX$151

28.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$1.48 MX$25.68

-19.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$2.36 MX$41.04

0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$0.81 MX$14.16

-2.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$2.10 MX$36.54

-31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$1.54 MX$26.77

24.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$3.10 MX$53.9

158.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$1.30 MX$22.56

-27.69%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$21.1K MX$366.9K

-15.00%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$20.2K MX$352.1K

32.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$57.4 MX$999

46.22%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$19.80 MX$345

-51.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$28.13 MX$489

-14.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$65.3 MX$1,136

-60.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$16.10 MX$280

18.26%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$4.23 MX$73.6

-7.33%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$306 COP 1.1M

$188 MX$3,277

62.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$2,719 MX$47.3K

117.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$42.15 MX$733

37.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$34.35 MX$598

-7.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$86.1 MX$1,499

15.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$55.7 MX$969

92.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$497 MX$8,648

-2.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$343 MX$5,962

7.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,020 MX$17.7K

-19.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$644 MX$11.2K

11.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,392 MX$24.2K

110.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$707 MX$12.3K

98.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$697 MX$12.1K

-21.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.33

18.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ensenada: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $497 in Ensenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ensenada pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Ensenada. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $222, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Ensenada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ensenada differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $1,046 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ensenada earns 28% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $497 in Ensenada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Ensenada. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $1,046 in Ensenada – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,046 in Ensenada, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ensenada. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ensenada are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ensenada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.